Records: Man said he killed in self-defense

Mark Delude, 52, of Burlington appears in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington Tuesday morning, charged with obstruction of justice. Police say Delude was involved in an altercation with Forrest Bryant, 40, before the man’s death Saturday. Delude is considered a “person of interest” in connection to Bryant’s death, according to police.
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Delude refused to enter a plea Tuesday for obstruction of justice charges. Burlington police say he was involved in an altercation with Forrest Bryant, 40, before the man's death Saturday.

The cause of Bryant's death has not yet been released.

Public defender Stacie Johnson, who represented Delude for the arraignment, entered a denial on his behalf.

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Mark Delude, 52, appears in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington and is ordered held for lack of $10,000 bail on obstruction of justice charge. Burlington police have named Delude as a 'person of interest' in homeless man's death.
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A handwritten note at the top of Delude's application for a public defender reads, "I wish to be co counsel under Rule 5," and is signed with the initials MD.

According to the application Delude is unemployed. His address was listed as Lafountain Street in Burlington.

In an affidavit filed with the court, Burlington Police Department Detective Corporal My Nguyen said police responded to a campsite in the woods near the Burlington Electric Department offices on Pine Street at about 7:10 a.m. Saturday. Police found Bryant's body, his head sticking out of what they said was Delude's hut.

Nguyen said he was told by dispatch there was a 911 call for the untimely death and in the background a man, later identified as Joshua Maple, was heard saying, "Mark hit him in the head."

According to Nguyen, Delude told officers Bryant broke into his tent and hit him in the face. The man said he "Had to do what he had to do."

Bryant's body had a number of injuries, including cuts on the left cheek, shoulder, elbow and hand, bruising on the neck and clavicle and hash-marks in the shape of a cross on the chest and abdomen.

Nguyen said he spoke with people at the camp, including Maple, Jack Hendrix and Caila Barrington. They said they woke up to Delude screaming for Maple and Hendrix.

All three claimed Delude was responsible for Bryant's death, according to court records.

According to Nguyen's affidavit, Hendrix said Delude told him he killed Bryant in self-defense.

Hendrix said he told Maple to call for help even though Delude ordered the men to keep silent and called them "snitches."

Barrington said Delude threatened "revenge" if she and the others called for police.

At a news conference Monday afternoon at the Burlington police station, Chittenden County State's Attorney TJ Donovan said Delude was well known to area law enforcement. He estimated Delude had been arrested more than 75 times.

Delude was held for lack of $10,000 bail. The State had asked for bail to be set at $50,000. He will undergo an outpatient psychiatric evaluation at the Vermont State Hospital.

Delude was also held for lack of $1,000 bail following Monday's arraignment for an unlawful trespass charge stemming from an April 18 incident at Burlington's Rite Aid.